Kiwi commendation award for Sairusi

Fiji Navy Lieutenant Sairusi Tufuga Colati was awarded the Royal New Zealand Navy HMNZS Canterbury commanding officer’s commendation award at a reception on board the vessel on Saturday night.

“It is an incredible feeling and I am humbled at the same time; to be selected out of all the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces officers’ part of this operation; is an honour,” Lieutenant Colati said.

“It’s a privilege to receive the commendation on behalf of the RFMF and for the relief work that the Royal New Zealand Navy has done in Vanuabalavu around the country.” Lieutenant Colati has been assisting the Royal New Zealand Navy with the navigation of HMNZS Canterbury around the Vanuabalavu waters in the Lau Group. He was assigned by the RFMF as the liaison officer to HMNZS Canterbury throughout the 46 days they were delivering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in Vanuabalavu days after Tropical Cyclone Winston devastated the island.

“I was tasked to safely navigate the ship into the Vanuabalavu waters and it was for the Royal New Zealand Navy; it was a very dangerous operation, since it was not charted properly; for them it was big risk, so I was able to deliver with the local knowledge I had for the past 10 years in the Fiji Navy and safely navigate the ship into the Vanuabalavu waters,” he said.

Lieutenant Colati said his mission in Vanuabalavu was basically to inform people on the island in the context they would understand the role of HMNZS Canterbury and the New Zealand Defence Force. Edited by Rusiate Mataika